Is "Suits LA" a Legal Drama or Family Drama?

Source: NBC

When Suits LA was first announced, fans expected another stylish, fast-paced legal drama about high-powered attorneys navigating high-stakes cases. After all, the original Suits gave us corporate courtroom battles, sharp-tongued lawyers, and backstabbing boardroom maneuvers. But just a few episodes into Suits LA, one thing is clear: This isn’t really about law at all. It’s about one character's unresolved issues with his father.

The Courtroom is Just a Backdrop

Sure, there are cases. There are depositions, fancy legal jargon, and expensive suits. But none of it really matters. Instead of focusing on legal strategy, the show dives deep into strained father-son relationships, unresolved childhood trauma, and the psychological baggage that powerful men carry because of their dads.

Psychologists have long studied the profound impact of father involvement (or the lack thereof) on children's development. Research published in the Journal of Marriage and Family suggests that children with disengaged or absent fathers often struggle with self-esteem, authority dynamics, and emotional regulation well into adulthood. Additional research underscores the significance of father-child interactions in shaping various developmental domains, aligning with the themes portrayed in Suits LA, in which characters' paternal relationships profoundly influence their personal and professional lives. Suits LA seems to tap directly into these themes, making its characters’ legal battles secondary to their internal struggles.

Breaking Down the Unresolved Father-Son Issues

Let’s take a look at how Suits LA is using father issues as its real driving force:

1. Ted Black’s Father Complex. Ted Black isn’t just trying to win cases; he’s trying to prove something to the father who was never there. According to a study by Lamb & Lewis (2013), the absence of a nurturing father figure often leads to an overemphasis on achievement as a form of validation. Whether his dad was emotionally unavailable, hypercritical, or simply absent, it’s clear that Ted is still seeking approval. His leadership style? Tough, demanding, but with a hint of desperation to mold others into what he wishes his father had been for him.

2. The Mentor-Protege Dynamic as a Substitute for Fatherhood. Since Suits, this franchise has loved its mentor-protégé relationships (like Harvey and Mike). But in Suits LA, these aren’t just mentorships; they’re surrogate father-son bonds. Ted Black takes young lawyers under his wing, but instead of just teaching them the law, he’s unconsciously playing the role of the father figure he never had. The problem? He’s not great at it. Research from the American Psychological Association shows that men who lacked positive father figures often struggle with nurturing leadership, swinging between being overly harsh and emotionally distant. In other words, Ted Black.

3. Father Issues = Power Issues. Every major power struggle in Suits LA has a deeper psychological layer. Characters don’t just want power for the sake of winning; they want power because they’re trying to fill a void left by an absent or disappointing father figure. As Sam Louie points out in a post on this site, individuals with unresolved paternal wounds often overcompensate by seeking authority and validation in their careers, sometimes at the expense of their personal relationships. Whether it’s proving they’re worthy, rebelling against authority, or trying to earn validation, their legal battles are just proxies for their personal struggles.

Why This Works (Kind of...)

For a show that’s supposed to be about cutthroat legal battles, Suits LA spends a surprising amount of time on therapy-worthy father problems. And honestly? It kind of works. Legal dramas have always been about power, control, and influence, and what better way to explore those themes than through the deeply personal wounds that drive people to succeed—or sabotage themselves?

But let’s be real: There’s something unintentionally funny about a show that dresses itself up as a legal thriller but is actually just a support group for men with unresolved dad trauma. If you came for courtroom showdowns, you might be a little disappointed. But if you love watching powerful men unravel emotionally because of something their father said (or didn’t say) decades ago, Suits LA is delivering exactly what you need.